Intro
Contents
DACs with volume control are offered in all shapes and sizes, but DACs with an analogue volume control often perform better. Does the Eversolo Z10 as well?
The Z10 even goes a step further, there is also an analogue input. That signal remains analogue, it is not digitised.
The front is occupied by a large touch screen, a headphone jack and an illuminated volume knob. The back offers many inputs and outputs, provided with clear, readable labels.
The digital side of the Eversolo Z10
The Z10 uses the current flagship chip from Japanese manufacturer AKM: twice the combination of chips labelled AK4191 and AK4499, one combination for left and one for right.
There are many different digital inputs with the Z10: 2 SPDIF Toslink, 2 SPDIF Coax, 1 AES/EBU, 1 HDMI ARC, 1 I2S (referred to by Eversolo as IIS) and 1 USB B. A bluetooth connection is present if you want to play directly from a phone.
Should you like to use an external master clock, there are two connections offered at different masterclock frequencies. The Eversolo Z10 also houses an FPGA (a programmable chip) to clean up the clock signal. According to Eversolo: ‘The FPGA shapes IIS data and refines the clock’. It is not clear from the text whether it is a reclocker. You can switch this function on or off in the menu.
The analogue side of the Eversolo Z10
There are two analogue inputs, one XLR and one RCA, and two analogue outputs, one XLR and one RCA.
The analogue part is a preamp and a R2R volume control, which is a volume control controlled by relays. If you turn the volume knob, you will hear the clicking sounds.